Ten Gods of Etan
The Ten Gods of Etan are the ten deities most commonly worshiped as a collective pantheon in the world of Tolas, particularly on the continent of Etan, with the majority of people being aware of these deities as well as their influence upon the mortal races. Despite being one of the most widely spread religions in the world, it has no central tenants nor does it have a centralised church. The Common name for the Ten are; Pelor, Aureon, Sune, Solonar, Tiamat, The Raven Queen, The Mockery, Tempus, Moradin and Bahamut. History The concept of the Ten was established in the early history of Etan. As the various cultures of Etan grew and solidified it was the ten gods who had Planar Anchors, powerful artefacts which tether a god's realm to the Material Plane, who came to be worshiped most prominently. Dawn War For more on this topic, see here. The Ten were among those gods that fought the primordial entities who had claimed dominion over the roiling elements that formed the world. The apocalyptic conflict that saw the world ravaged by cataclysmic war, ended with the gods victorious over their hated foes, whom they bound into the world. It is believed that other gods fought in this war, either perishing in the conflict or being so wounded that they departed the world to recover in their own realms. Many distant stars a speculated to be the planes of these lost gods, still watching the world from afar. Dragon War For more on this topic, see here. Following the Dawn War, the gods took to establishing their control over their individual planes and tethering them to the world. At this time the gods Bahamut and Tiamat shared the plane of Dragonmount, and the goddess Valheria was the eleventh god in the pantheon. Due to being diametrically opposed to one another, the twin dragon gods came into conflict. Their war led to the detachment of Dragonmount from the world and its drifting free from Tolas. Tiamat fled to the Nine Hells, which she anchored to the mortal realms. Eventually Bahamut managed to reattach Dragonmount to Tolas, dragging his plane back to the world and reigniting the conflict with his foe. Exile For more on this topic, see here. Before Shardfall, the goddess Valheria was wounded, or began to die from some unknown cause. During this time the denizens of her realm, Eschensil, fled to Tolas, the goddess leaving the portal connecting her world to the mortal realm open as they departed. From the burning light in the sky leaked trails of silver light, that many speculated was the blood of the fallen goddess, though whatever its origin, it became clear that the gods were unable to pass through its touch without suffering madness, which is believed to be the cause of the turn of the Mockery, a once proud deity corrupted to cruelty. Now no longer able to travel to the world, the gods instead remain within their planes, communing with the mortal races of Tolas and sending their agents to enact their will or thwart the activities of others. Silence For more on this topic, see here. Following nearly two thousand years of consistent commune with the mortal realms, the Ten where unexpectedly silent for a period of two and a half years, with only their most recent agents, the Exarchs amassing followers in their stead. During the Silence, the mortal races came into conflict with one of these entities, and managed to slay the creature in its attempt to control them. Though the gods did eventually return, trust in the gods was severely damaged, with only Tiamat, the goddess of evil dragons appearing to gain in power as she elevated the demiplane she had built in the Nine Hells into a full plane that detached from its fiendish prison and tethered itself Tolas. Interlopers With the return of the ten came two more entities, exiled gods from long ago returned to anchor their planes to Tolas. These were; Umbarnir and Elendei. These two new deities are beginning to establish their own followers within the mortal realm, and could possibly become a full part of the pantheon as they grow in strength. Worship The Ten have no single church or collective followers, instead they are worshiped by the lay people of the world. Those that do not devote themselves to a particular deity can find some aspect of the ten to give thanks to, curse at, or attribute some phenomenon to. Wheels within Wheels The Ten feature prominently in the Common Calendar and their various Holy Days are marked by it as well as the perceived highs and lows of their divine power as their planes move closer to or further away from the mortal realms. These planes manifest in the skies of Tolas as stars, or constellations, many of which form patterns or shapes associated with the deity, with the notable exception of Highvale, which manifests as a burning orb of light commonly referred to as the sun. The movement of these planes is the primary cause of the seasons of Tolas as the gods move their realms around one another, jostling for position in the heavens. These movements can be monitored by observation, and planned out as they year goes on, allowing for a calendar to be established. Symmetry and Dichotomy Either through providence or some other cosmic plan, many if not all of the ten gods directly oppose another, or are consider direct opposites of them in terms of personality and outlook. For example the gods Bahamut and Tiamat are immortal enemies, with each attempting to hinder the advancement of the other, though sometimes the relationship is less adversarial, such as Moradin being concerned with the building of great works, whereas Solonar prefers nature's artifice over the interference of others. Many gods are allied to one another, or at least believed to be, and their agents and followers can often work together to achieve some goal. Aspects Within the Ten, are the concepts of aspects, essentially that each of the Ten can appear in one of three forms. This concept is held by the common folk of the world as the gods are given attributes that mortals see within themselves, with bards and storytellers having more influence over which version of the gods people see as the truth.Category:Deity Category:In-World Concepts